Jungkook was playing the piece, which he knew since his childhood days already. He felt empty and hurt, while playing because he couldn't stop thinking about what happened with Park Changwon and the piano teacher. When the piece was about to end Jungkook's tensed arms loosened and as soon as he finished, Jungkook was sitting in front of the piano, looking down on the keyboard with an empty glance. He still had to play the second piece but he was just sitting there, not moving an inch. It irritated the audience and judges, so the hall was filled with silence until the audience got inpatient and a murmur started to fill the room instead of the silence.
"What kind of face is that?", Seunghyun asked himself, who was frowning when staring at his student.
"I wonder what's wrong with him...", one of the judges was talking to her co-judges, "Did he forget about the other piece?"
Changwon, who kept looking at Jungkook was just smirking.
Then Jungkook finally moved and slowly looked at the audience. His glance wandered through the bulk of people and suddenly he saw Taehyung. "Taehyung seonbae", he whispered surprised to himself, because he didn't expect the older one to come. Taehyung looked at him and smiled, giving him a nod. Jungkook looked back at the piano and remembered Seunghyun's wife's words about the background of the second piece, which was written when the composer was in love. Jungkook smiled because he could exactly feel it, how to be in love. He moved closer to the keyboard and started playing the second piece. It sounded much lighter and happier than before, which everyone noticed.
"Up until now you were just being risky, weren't you...", Taehyung thought while looking at Jungkook, who seemed to be back having fun playing the piano.
"Wonderful! The sounds are sparkling...", Seunghyun's wife mentioned, while her husband just smiled and nodded in agreement.
"It's Debussy lost in love... He's expressing it very well", the Korean judge said.
"No, he's not expressing that", the French judge spoke, "Perhaps, he's still a baby."
When Jungkook finished the piece, he was smiling brightly, thinking about Taehyung and the kiss they shared. After every participant had finished their performance, they waited together with their family, friends or teachers in the hall until the results were posted. Jungkook didn't know how long he was waiting, but finally someone appeared on the stage.
"We will now post the results of the second round and who will be participant for the final round", a man said, while the judges were following him onto the stage. Jungkook looked down on the small paper he was holding in his hands. 28. His number was 28. Now the number had to appear on the poster they were revealing slowly, otherwise he wouldn't have been part of the final round. The first number which was revealed was the 4 and at the end of the room a small group of people were happily squealing about the results. Another number was shown. The 8. 19. 21 and suddenly a woman screamed happily. It was the mother of Park Changwon, who was jumping up and down, while her son was just standing there, smirking like always.
"28....28....", Jungkook and Seunghyun were whispering while staring at the stage, where the poster was slowly rolled open. 26 and the last number on the poster were 28.
"It's there!", Jungkook babbled and wasn't sure if he was seeing right or just imagined it, but after Seunghyun and his wife were clapping and letting their emotions go by hugging Jungkook tightly.
"Congratulations!"
"So he managed it! He really did it", Seunghyun thought.
"I thought I wouldn't make it", Jungkook said teary.
Now he just wanted to see Taehyung. So Jungkook quickly went backstage and changed into casual clothes, running outside to look for Taehyung. But no matter where Jungkook was looking for the older one, he couldn't find Taehyung at the entrance hall. When the boy's phone rang, Jungkook quickly pulled it out of his jacket's pocket. "I'll come and see the final round too, so do your best", the message from Taehyung said, "I will think of you." Jungkook smiled and quickly replied to the text.
"I will win first place no matter what!!!!"

"I'll be expecting you", the text said and showed a heart, which Taehyung received. Taehyung nodded and put his phone back, now it was time for him to do his best as well. Taehyung was on his way to the rehearsal room of Rising Star dance crew, it was time to tell everyone about the new dances and songs he had chosen. But suddenly someone appeared in front of him. 
"Taehyungie!", Namjoon squealed like a fan girl.
"You guys... What are you doing here? We have rehearsal", Taehyung said and looked at the others, "Why are you all dressed so neatly?" The others were all wearing black suits and perfectly styled hair.
"We need publicity photos for the Christmas performance. They will be sent to the printers today", Yoongi spoke and stepped closer to him, holding a suit to his choreographer.
"Taehyung-ssi, change at the academy, while we will prepare everything for the photo shooting", Seokjin explained smiling.
"Hurry up or it'll be too late", Hoseok mentioned and Namjoon grabbed Taehyung's wrist, dragging him to the academy, which was already nearby.
"Taehyungie, you are the last. Do you want to change here on the streets? Not that I would mind it", Namjoon grinned, causing Taehyung to shiver by imagining it.
While Taehyung was changing, Yoongi and Hoseok were preparing the practicing room for the shooting together with Seokjin, while Jimin and Namjoon were sitting in the cafeteria, having some coffee.
"Eh? You will go to Auckland?", Jimin asked surprised.
"Yes, I had applied for a year abroad, so I applied", Namjoon explained, "I didn't expect it but I passed the initial screening. The next step is a performance test and a final interview."
"Oh, that's great! It was your dream to go abroad as well."
"But if I pass, what about Rising Star?"
"If you continue with Rising Star also, it'd be great. But don't you think it's just a student thing? We can't stay together forever", Jimin said and had to think about his teacher's words, who wanted him to come back to New York soon as well. Yet he didn't tell anyone about it but he finally had the courage to tell Namjoon.
"That's great, that's wonderful! Such a popular person praised you and your skills in person!"
"Yes... but...", Jimin mumbled, but Namjoon wasn't listening anymore.
"Ah, Yoongi", Namjoon shouted and waved his friend over to them.
"Hey", Yoongi came over and handed Jimin another cup of coffee, "The tickets for the performance are almost all sold out!"
"Yoongi, listen..."
"Oh right, let's tell Taehyung about it!", Yoongi talked quickly, not noticing that Jimin tried to talk with him, "Right! Where is he now? Where?"
"YOONGI?!", Jimin was shouting after his boyfriend, who ran away looking for their choreographer.
Taehyung was in a room and put his sweater off and started to undress before he could change into the suit. He was deeply in thought so that he didn't notice how the door opened and someone stepped inside.
"You are Kim Taehyung, right?", a man's voice appeared and Taehyung turned surprised around, while he was ing his shirt, "Let me join your dance crew."
"Huh?"
"I'm a dancer, Lee Chisoo."
Jimin, who was looking for Yoongi, because he still had to talk with his boyfriend, found Yoongi in front of a room. Yoongi had his face close to the small window of the door, staring into the room. "What are you doing?", Jimin asked quietly and stepped next to Yoongi.
"Minnie, look!", Yoongi told his boyfriend and made him look through the window, where he could see a man talking to Taehyung.
"I won third place at last year's Boston International Competition", Chisoo talked, "I was studying in Rome as well, but I came back to Korea last month. I've danced in a university group in Rome, but in Boston I had personal coaching. Besides that I think I'm better than your crew leader."
"WHAT!"
"No, no, no Minnie, calm down!", Yoongi tried to hold his boyfriend back from rushing into the room, because Yoongi was sure that Jimin would kill that stranger.
"Third place at Boston International?", Taehyung repeated while thinking about the boy's words, "You must be good." Taehyung didn't say more and continued to his shirt, while the man was staring at him. Taehyung was about to pull his shirt out of his pants to open it completely, as he suddenly stopped. "What was your name again?", Taehyung asked and turned to the other one.
"Never mind! Hurry and take off your clothes! I can't wait!"
"What?"
Jimin and Yoongi, who kept listening and observing the situation, exchanged shocked looks and Jimin ran into the hallway nearby. "NAMJOONIE!! TAEHYUNG'S IN DANGER!!!", Jimin screamed as loud as he could, hoping that Namjoon would hear it.
And Namjoon indeed felt like he heard someone calling for him. So he jumped up from his seat in the cafeteria and ran through the hallways until he found Jimin and Yoongi. Then he bumped into the room and the others followed him inside. "What are you doing, who are you?!", Namjoon asked the boy, who he never saw before and pulled him back from Taehyung.
After Namjoon had dragged the guy outside and Taehyung was able to change, they all had met in the rehearsal room, where Lee Chisoo was showing off his dance skills.
"Wow, no wonder he won third at Boston International", Jihwan mumbled while watching the man's dancing carefully and Seokjin nodded.
"His technique is perfectly super", Jin agreed.
"Dynamic and passionate", Taehyung thought, "A different type of dancer compared to Jimin."
After some minutes Chisoo had finished his dance and fixed his cardigan, looking at Taehyung and the other members, who had gathered around the choreographer. "So, what do you think, Taehyung-ah?! This guy or me, who is more suitable as leader?"
"Who do you think you are?!", Namjoon asked angrily, "You came here for an audition, right? Now you suddenly want to be group leader?"
"Shut up, bump head!", Chisoo interrupted Namjoon rapidly, "I have an offer in showbiz, you know. But if I can join this group, I'll turn it down. So I should at least become leader."
"Why would you turn it down when you seem to like the idea and join this group?", Taehyung asked curiously.
"Because this group is great! The other day I was really moved and it's been a while! Everybody is skilled, young, confident and had fun! How do I put it in words? It was like dance moves making love and then this beautiful choreographer giving himself into ecstasy... How should I explain it... Anyway I love to dance and I especially love this group! And I love Taehyung-ah too", Chisoo talked, while many group members didn't know how to react and exchanged looks.
Namjoon squealed angrily. "What did you say last?! Go home! We already have a wonderful leader", he talked angrily and threw some salt to Chisoo, to make him go away.
Suddenly Yoongi stepped in between Chisoo and the other members. "Welcome", Yoongi said, "I'm touched by your enthusiasm. Starting today, you are a member of Rising Star."
"What are you saying so suddenly, Yoongi?", Namjoon asked shocked, while Jimin's mouth dropped open and he was unable to say something.
"Although Chisoo's performance isn't as powerful as Jimin's, his technique and movements go beyond Jimin's. Also third at Boston International versus second at Nationals would sound better in promotions", Yoongi explained.
"Yoongi...", Taehyung was speechless like all the others.
Then Yoongi walked over to Jimin, who looked down and sad and took Jimin's hands tightly. "So, Jimin, don't hesitate any longer. You're free to return to New York. Then Someday, if you want to become this group's leader again, bring back two or three titles above this guy's!", Yoongi talked and squeezed Jimin's hands, looking deeply into his eyes, "You can do it and no matter what I am proud of you and I love you!"
"Yoon... Idiot!", Jimin spoke with a thin voice and smiled before he kissed Yoongi.
They hugged each other tightly. "Don't worry about me. I will practice so hard that I won't have time for anything else than practice and missing you."
"Huh?", Taehyung felt like he missed a lot in the last days.
"Taehyungie, you're a bit dense, aren't you?", Namjoon chuckled and when they all had calmed down, they prepared for the photo shooting.
After the shooting and then the rehearsal had ended, Yoongi and Jimin sent off Taehyung together. He was looking after the two, who were walking down the street, holding hands, laughing and nagging each other. They seemed to be happy and Taehyung wondered if he and Jungkook would be like this as well.

For Jungkook there was no time to waste. He had to prepare for the final round and once again the judges were giving the pieces to the participants. Like always Seunghyun was telling his student about the pieces, which were chosen for him. They had returned to the teacher's house and Jungkook was sitting in front of the piano again. "For the final round you will play Schumann's Piano Sonata No. 2 and Stravinsky's Petrouchka!", Seunghyun explained and handed Jungkook the score books, "You must master them in two days! I had no idea you'd make it this far... Until know we've been risky. There's not enough time for you to master two pieces perfectly! But you have to show off your technique."
"Yes", Jungkook said and nodded, quickly starting to study the score and playing.
He was practicing for hours already, but he always messed up at the same spot. "The second finger was wrong again...", he mumbled to himself and tapped on his finger, like he was being angry with a child. Once again he played the part he had messed up, but quickly he stopped again. "The rhythm was wrong... Why is this so, Schumann?", Jungkook mumbled and checked the score again.
"Kookie?", Seunghyun's wife came in and looked at Jungkook, who was mumbling to himself. But she couldn't hear or understand what he was saying, so she just placed the food on the piano. "You haven't eaten anything since yesterday! You have to eat! And you have to rest!"
When Seunghyun came back home from the academy, he saw that Jungkook was still practicing and the boy was still wearing the same clothes. The food was cold, became touch dry and a small skin had formed on the soup. "He already mastered it! Why so quickly?", he talked to himself and couldn't believe his eyes and ears. 
He walked over to his wife, who was in the kitchen, warming up dinner for her husband. "Hey, did anyone come and teach him?"
"Oh no, don't say such a scary thing", his wife talked and shook her head quickly, "No one came! He kept practicing by himself. He worked on the same measure over and over and was muttering to himself..."
"What the heck?", Seunghyun asked and sat down at the dining table, "It's like before. When I thought that his Schubert was a disaster, the next day he played it perfectly! When I thought he had a difficult piece mastered, on stage he fell apart... What's with this kid..."
The whole time Jungkook played the whole piece over and over again. Once it was good, then it was played perfectly and then he gave a no-good version, which was totally wrong. Seunghyun didn't know how this happened all the time, he didn't understand. "I don't get it at all... I've never had a pupil like him before. How should I teach him...", he talked to himself and was burying his face in his hands. Suddenly he heard a bang and looked up. Jungkook's head was laying on the piano and the boy didn't move. "Hey, Jeon. What are you doing?", the teacher asked and walked over to the boy to check on him, "Hey!" Jungkook's body was feeling hot and the boy was sweating a lot, his cheeks had turned red and his bangs were sticking on his sweaty forehead. "Oh no!", Seunghyun hold his student in his arms, who was about to faint, "Hey!!! Boyoung!! Call the ambulance!! QUICKLY!!"